The UO Comparative Primate Collection, often referred to as the “Grand Collection” after its most important contributor (anatomist Dr. Theodore I. Grand), includes more than 700 primate and 125 non-primate vertebrate skeletons. The primate skeletons are mostly from Old World monkeys, but also include many prosimians and some New World monkeys. Non-primate skeletons include a variety of placental and marsupial mammals, from sloths to bats, as well as birds and reptiles. Housed in the Department of Anthropology, the Comparative Primate Collection is part of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s large biological teaching and research collections. Dr. Frances White, professor of anthropology, serves as curator of the collection, with help from assistant curator Andrea Eller, and numerous student volunteers.

Many specimens in the collection were assembled by Dr. Grand between 1963 and 1982 during his tenure at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Most specimens have detailed life history data (age, sex, body weight, cause of death, genealogy, etc.), which rarely accompany primate skeletal collections. Such data allow the study of many scientific problems, from traditional studies of primate skeletal and dental morphology, to research focused on patterns of inheritance, growth, and development. The collection is currently being used by UO faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates for a variety of research projects.

To ensure the preservation of this valuable collection, the Anthropology Department and MNCH are working to improve the quality of its curatorial and lab space, clean and stabilize the specimens, and document them in digital photographs and 3D scans. Our goal is to create a well-documented and accessible collection of non-human primate skeletons that will be available for use in research and teaching. Dr. White is working with other curators of MNCH biological collections, including Dr. Edward Davis (the Condon Collection), Dr. Madonna Moss (professor of anthropology and curator of the North Pacific Zooarchaeological Collection), and Dr. Patrick O’Grady of the MNCH Archaeological Research Division.